Mahmoud Shammam, the Information Minister for the Libyan National Transitional
Council, promises members of Col Gaddafi's family a "fair trial"
as reports emerge that the former dictator's wife and three of his children
have fled to Algeria.

Safiya Gaddafi, the dictator’s second wife and mother of all but one of his children, fled across the desert border between the two countries on Monday morning, a statement from Algiers said.

With her was Col Gaddafi’s eldest son, Mohammed, along with another son, Hannibal, Col Gaddafi’s daughter Aisha, and their children. Mohammed Gaddafi, the least involved in politics of all Col Gaddafi’s children, was captured as the rebels took Tripoli nine days ago but later escaped. A senior rebel officer said Khamis, another of the dictator’s sons, had been killed in battle near Tripoli.

The Algerian authorities also confirmed that the UN secretary-general, the president of the UN Security Council, and the head of the Libyan rebels' National Transitional Council had been informed of the developments.

Mahmoud Shammam, the information minister for the National Transitional Council (NTC), promised that Gaddafi's relatives would be given a fair trial by the new Libyan government.

He also warned that the NTC would view any decision to harbour Gaddafi or his family as "an aggressive act" against the Libyan people.

"We don't encourage other countries to harbour them, to harbour him (Muammar Gaddafi) or his family and we'll consider any act of that as an aggression act against the wish of the Libyan people," the information minister said.